Review of Men Call It Love (1931) by Antonius B — 23 Oct 2016

When divorce is mutually agreed upon by one couple who announce it happily at a party, it causes others to think about their own marriages. One of their guests, Helen (Mary Duncan), is already cheating on her mild-mannered husband with Tony (Adolphe Menjou, who reminds me of Edward Norton), but the two confess to one another that they've gotten bored with one another. The end of their affair is as amicable as the end of the marriage they've just witnessed. Everyone seems blithe and reasonable about these things, which would ordinarily trigger a lot of passion.

Meanwhile, Jack (Norman Foster) has been rumored to cheat on his wife Connie (Leila Hyams), who loves a good flirtation herself, but the two are committed to one another until she catches him in bed with Helen. She then considers taking Tony up on his advances to her. Jack tries to enforce the double standard, telling her "This is a man's game, and you can't play it", but she responds by telling him "You play around as much as you like, and so will I." The movie should get a little credit for its openness about divorce, adultery, and a women's right to sexual freedom. The performances are pretty average, though, and the movie cops out a bit at the end.